For Immediate Release
Monday, October 01, 2001
Minnesota Employees Strike
Photos: Striking AFSCME Council 6 workers outside of the Minnesota Department of Revenue (below) and the Department of Natural Resources (bottom) in St. Paul, MN.; courtesy of Steve Woit.
On Oct. 1, Minnesota state workers represented by Council 6 went on strike. It may be the single-largest union action in the state's history. Nearly 19,000 AFSCME members were joined by 10,500 members of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees. Health care coverage is the primary issue.
Council 6 had been in negotiations with the state since February, but the state was unwilling to abandon efforts to shift health insurance costs to employees: Its last offer could have members themselves paying $1,900 a year for individual coverage or $3,800 a year for a family. Prescription drug costs would also escalate. The union's proposal would protect employees against such catastrophic health care costs.
This past spring, state workers voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if negotiations stalled. Since then, union members have rallied and marched to make the public aware of their situation. AFSCME's bargaining team had been hopeful about reaching a fair agreement during a marathon three-day bargaining session that was making incremental progress.
Talks broke down after management put out a final offer with no remedy for the projected health insurance increases. The Council 6 executive board then voted unanimously to call a strike.
Over the past decade, state employees' wages have been eroded by inflation, and their raises have lagged behind increases for comparable private sector jobs. Nevertheless, said Council 6 Exec. Director and International Vice Pres. Peter Benner, "We are willing to bargain on wages, but we are demanding fair health protection for our members.
"Don't report to your worksite after 6:00 a.m. on Monday [Oct. 1]," Benner told state workers, "unless you're going there with a picket sign in your hand."
